NY Jets Schedule: Quick look at the complete 17-game slate

The NY Jets schedule has officially been released. The complete 17-game schedule for the 2021 season was revealed by the team on Wednesday night following days of anticipation.

The 2021 season promises to be an exciting one for the Jets. Following an abysmal 2-14 campaign a year ago, the organization made sweeping changes in the offseason.

That included the hiring of new head coach Robert Saleh to replace Adam Gase and the selection of quarterback Zach Wilson second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to serve as Sam Darnold's replacement.

2021 marks the beginning of a new era for the Jets. Now let's explore what that era might look like.

The NY Jets schedule for the 2021 season has been released

The Jets will kick off their season on the road against the Carolina Panthers in a game that should garner plenty of attention. It will be the first time that Sam Darnold faces his former team, and he'll do so against a debuting Zach Wilson.

Week 2 will be the Jets' home opener as they're set to take on the New England Patriots. The Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round, but it's more likely that the incumbent Cam Newton is under center for that game.

The Jets will travel to London in Week 5 for only the second time in franchise history as they play the Atlanta Falcons. Fortunately, that game will not count as a "home" game for the Jets as it does for Atlanta.

The Jets' bye week will be the week after the London game, as is customary, in Week 6.

Their only other national televised game will come in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football. Of the Jets' first eight games, only three of them are at home.

Another interesting note is that the Jets play only 1 o'clock games after that Week 9 meeting with the Colts. In fact, their only kickoff at 4 o'clock is in Week 3 when they travel to Denver to play the Broncos.

The Jets are home quite a bit in the second half of the schedule with just two road games between November 14th and January 2nd. They finish their season off with a home meeting against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before traveling to Buffalo to face the Bills.

Generally speaking, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill schedule from a difficulty standpoint. It's tied with the Patriots and San Francisco 49ers for the 19th hardest strength of schedule in the NFL.

The stage has been set. The Jets will be looking to turn the fortunes of their franchise around with a much more successful 2021 season.